A New Twist on Old World Brewing at River North

Each craft brewery brings something different and special to the table. Most breweries showcase a variety of styles and profiles. A few focus on styles that originated in one country or region of the world. River North Brewery in Denver is one such brewery, focusing on making Belgian style beers, both traditional and with a twist. Though it's only been around for a couple years, River North has established itself as among the best in Colorado to produce high-quality, complex Belgian style ales.

I had the opportunity to stop in to River North for the second time recently and taste several beers. Located in Denver's Ballpark Neighborhood on Blake Street a few blocks north of Coors Field, it's in the heart of a growing craft beer mecca. The taproom is small and cozy, with a handful of tables and about 10 or 12 seats at the bar. Some of the traditional Belgian styles River North brews include a white ale, a saison, a quadrupel ale, and sometimes a dubbel ale, among others. They brew other styles like a red ale, a black IPA and a double IPA, but these are all fermented with a Belgian yeast strain. That means every beer they brew is a Belgian style, whether it's traditional or more innovative. They also age some of their beers in barrels, which adds another dimension of complexity to the beer and provides an amazing contrast between the original version and the barrel-aged version.

On this visit, I had the Hello, Darkness Black IPA, the Whiskey Barrel Quandary Quadrupel, and the Avarice Belgian Style Imperial Stout. All were excellent, and here are a few quick tasting notes. Hello, Darkness is medium-bodied and moderately carbonated. Belgian yeast is apparent in the aroma and the initial taste. There's a nice balance between dark roasted malts and hops, with a bitter finish that lingers on the tongue. The Quandary is one of the most unique beers I've had recently. Sweet whiskey flavors are right up front in the aroma. Whiskey is the initial flavor, and then the strong malt flavors come through. Flavors of butterscotch and caramel are abundant, and the beer leaves a buttery, candy-like taste on the palate. The Avarice is a very complex stout with big coffee notes in the aroma. Flavors of coffee and chocolate from the massive amounts of dark malts come through strong, and then there's a sweetness on the back end from the Belgian yeast.

Many of the River North beers are stronger and higher in alcohol content, as is typical for many Belgian styles, but there has been no burn from the alcohol presence in any of the beers I've had. That speaks to the complexity derived from quality ingredients and Belgian yeast, and to the expertise the brewers at River North possess. Whether you're new to Belgian style beers or you're well-versed in them, it's definitely worth stopping into the River North taproom or picking up a bottle at the store.

A Taste of My Hometown

Thanksgiving week has come and gone, and I was fortunate to have spent it in my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky with a huge portion of my extended family. In addition to spending quality time with family and relatives who I don't get to see too often, I had the opportunity to check out a bit of the Louisville craft beer scene. Louisville is known for being a bourbon town, much like Denver is a major hot spot for craft beer tourists. That's not to say Louisville doesn't have any good beer. While the craft beer scene is relatively small, it's definitely growing, and there's some excellent local beer to be found.

After our whole group had dinner at the Irish Rover Friday evening, a handful of us headed to Apocalypse Brew Works in the Clifton neighborhood. What we found walking up to the brewery is proof that craft beer culture is alive and well in Louisville: a food truck in the parking lot, a small but festive taproom, a nice selection of beers on tap, and plenty of craft beer lovers having a good time. Apocalypse opened in May of 2012 and, according to its website, the brewers have more than 40 combined years of brewing experience. The brewery's theme, which is deciphered by viewing the taproom decor and some of the beer names, goes along with its name. The taproom is even called the Fallout Shelter, and the brewery calls its fans the Survivors. It's a pet friendly environment, and we saw several well-behaved dogs enjoying themselves.

Everyone in our group really liked the beers they chose. My dad had the KY Hop-Brown ale, my wife Kris had the Pestilence Porter, my brother Jon had the Hoptoberfest, and my brother-in-law Monty and I both had the Hoptrocution double IPA. I was very impressed with how well-balanced and smooth the Hoptrocution tasted. At 10% ABV and 160 IBUs, this is a massive hop-forward beer, and honestly one of the best double IPAs I've had in a while. There's a sturdy malt presence that adds a sweetness to the initial flavors. The hop elements are mostly citrusy, which I usually prefer, and the finish is very smooth and not as aggressive as some double IPAs. I also had the Sunspot Stout, which was very good. Full-bodied but not overly creamy, this roasty beer is big on coffee and chocolate flavors. The many years of brewing experience definitely shows through in the quality of the beer.

As a Denver area resident, I really appreciate seeing a small brewery like Apocalypse thriving in a city not yet widely known for its craft beer scene. With its historic neighborhoods, growing young professional population, and fairly central geographic location, I think Louisville has the potential to be one of the next big brewing cities in the Midwest. For now, I'll be content with finding great new breweries when I head back to my hometown and make sure I spread the word about them!

Dinner, Drinks, and a Movie, All in One Spot

For many adults, the concept of dinner and a movie has been a mainstay in date or group activity ideas for decades. But we usually take that phrase to mean dinner at a restaurant, then a movie at the theater. The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, located in Littleton, Colo., melds the dining and cinema experience together very well due to an emphasis on a high quality presentation. They also serve an amazing selection of craft beer, highlighting an array of local breweries.

The Alamo Drafthouse was founded in 1997 in Austin, Texas by Tim and Karrie League, according to its website. These two were inspired by the idea of enjoying movies with good food and beer. Since its opening, Alamo Drafthouse has opened other franchises in Texas and several other states. The Colorado location opened in early 2013 in the Aspen Grove shopping center, and has been very well received. Last night, my wife Kris and I saw our second movie there and had a great time. As I mentioned, craft beer is a central focus for the beverage service, but there's also a full selection of wine and spirits available. The tap list includes about 30 craft beers, most of which rotate to include seasonals. The food is also very good, with a large menu that includes salads, snacks, pizza, burgers, sandwiches and more. If you want to get a drink or a bite before or after the movie, there's also a cozy and inviting bar inside the theater.

Great drinks and food are an excellent starting point. What makes this concept work so well, however, is the theater's service and disruption policy. Each theater has stadium seating, with wide aisles and appropriately-sized tables for every two seats. The servers have room to maneuver when delivering food or taking orders, so the viewing experience is hardly interrupted. The theater also has a strict policy against talking or cell phose usage during movies, with the consequence being automatic dismissal from the theater upon the second violation.

If you can handle this policy and enjoy the experience along with your fellow movie-goers, Alamo Drafthouse is definitely a place to visit for dinner and a movie. So what movie did we see on Saturday night? Hunger Games: Catching Fire. It's a great movie that I highly recommend, even if you haven't read the books. To give you an idea of how good the tap list is, I enjoyed an Elevation Brewing Third Base Belgian Style Trippel and a Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout. A baked pretzel and a mushroom and caramelized onion pizza made a great meal to share. This is my kind of dinner and a movie!

Dark Roasty Malts & Lighter Comfort Fare

Stout season is upon us, and here in Colorado we're lucky to have many excellent choices available to us. Whether it's a dry, sweet, oatmeal, American or imperial stout, these complex beers offer so much character and intrigue for the drinker. On this November evening, I chose an Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout from North Coast Brewing Company to enjoy with a turkey reuben. This meal offers a lot of flavor and comfort while feeling lighter and very much scaled down from a traditional reuben. The sandwich features thin-sliced turkey breast with Jarlsburg cheese and angel hair coleslaw on marble rye, and then grilled on a panini griddler. We also had oven-baked sweet potato fries on the side.

Old Rasputin is a classic Russian Imperial Stout, very roasty and dark with complex flavors of coffee, dark chocolate and a hint of tobacco. It's more of a sipper that's most commonly enjoyed during the colder months, but can also pair well with certain foods and desserts. The beer's flavors went well with the meal, with the roasty malts playing nicely off the marble rye bread and the cheese. The turkey also works well with the dark elements of the beer, but is somewhat overpowered by the robust nature of this style. An American stout like Deschutes Obsidian Stout or Avery Out of Bounds Stout just might make a better pairing choice in the future.

Overall, this was a delicious meal made even better with the chosen pairing. Old Rasputin can be found in many states throughout the country year-round, and is an excellent value at approximately $10 for a 4-pack of 12 ounce bottles. That's quite reasonable for an excellent beer that's 9% ABV. This kind of darker, complex, soul-warming beer style is ideal during the fall and winter. It's perfect to savor with loved ones or friends while enjoying the kind of warmth that good company can provide.

Football, Friends, and Good Beer

This weekend, my wife Kris and I took an unforgettable road trip with our friends Brian and Doug who I've known since our Air Force ROTC days at Michigan State University. The destination was Lincoln, Nebraska to watch our MSU Spartans take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a pivotal late-season matchup. An essential part of the college football game day experience is tailgating near the stadium before the game. It's ideal to enjoy food, beverages and camaraderie with friends old and new while donning your school's colors on a beautiful fall Saturday. For this occasion, I selected the Dry Dock Brewing "Booty Box," a variety pack of cans that features something for everyone.

The four beers in the pack are Hefeweizen, Apricot Blonde Ale, Amber Ale and Hop Abomination IPA. There are several reasons why this pack is an excellent choice for bringing to a tailgate with a smaller group. For one, canned craft beer is lighter to carry and leaves you with less waste to throw away. The variety in styles and flavors ensures that everyone in the group should find something that suits their palate. The Hefeweizen is an excellent example of the style, with a lighter body but delicious wheat flavors and fruity esters from the German yeast. The Apricot Blonde is brewed with real apricot puree, providing a lot of flavor without making the beer overly sweet. The Amber is an English style that's big on toasty caramel malts, and Hop Abomination is a well-balanced IPA. All four beers go well with many different foods, and they're all fairly sessionable, with Hop Abomination the strongest at 6.5% ABV.

Needless to say, we had an enjoyable tailgate with great craft beers and bratwurst while getting to know fellow Spartans and a few Huskers as well. More importantly, we had an amazing experience at Memorial Stadium watching MSU beat Nebraska in football for the first time ever. If you ever get a chance to see a game in Lincoln, I highly recommend it. Fortunately, the Nebraska fans are just as hospitable to opposing fans after the game as they are before the game. Lincoln also has a great beer bar called YiaYia's where we had a couple pints later in the evening. The tap list features about 10 rotating taps of excellent regional craft beers, and well over 100 bottled beers from around the world. It was a nice place to end a very memorable day while enjoying great company and savoring a huge Spartan road win.

The Canned Craft Beer Revolution is Here

Canned beer is not what it used to be. For decades, beer in a can was synonomous with cheap, flavorless light lager. Now, you can find any style of craft beer in a can, from an apricot blonde to a Russian imperial stout. So, what led to this revolution in the craft beer industry and how did canning become not only acceptable, but a possibly superior packaging method?

Oskar Blues Brewery, which was founded by Dale Katechis in Lyons, Colo. in 1999, started the canning trend in 2002 by being the first craft brewer in the United States to can its beer. Oskar Blues is known for its big, burly beers and for bucking conventionality in how it markets its brand. The fact that OB produces excellent beer definitely helped, but the idea of canning craft beer caught on. Shortly after, Ska Brewing in Durango, Colo. also began canning its product, much to the pleasure of the region's active, outdoor enthusiast beer drinkers. Over the years, many major players in the craft brewing industry such as New Belgium, Sierra Nevada, Avery and Boston Beer Co. have started canning a segment of their product line.

The reasons why canning is an excellent packaging method for craft beer are abundant. Aluminum cans keep out virtually all light and oxygen, preserving the beer for longer. Cans are also more environmentally friendly than glass bottles, making the process more sustainable. Cans are lighter in weight than bottles and are great for taking on hikes, camping or fishing trips, tailgating and wherever else you want to enjoy a delicious craft beer. The can also has no impact on the flavor because, due to the canning technology, the beer doesn't actually touch the aluminum. With all these great reasons for choosing a canned craft beer, old misconceptions and stigmas of canned beer have been fading away.

The option to can beer has also been a huge boost to smaller breweries looking to package and distribute their product. Mobile canning lines make it possible for small, newer breweries to can their beer without the large cost of having a fixed, permanent canning or bottling line. They're able to package and distribute beer to local markets at their own pace and at a cost they can handle. This helps give consumers in some markets even more choice and selection when they stop by their local liquor store, and gives more excellent breweries a chance to be real players in their local or regional markets.

The canned craft beer revolution has been nothing but beneficial for the industry and for consumers, in my opinion. As more breweries move toward canning, the canned beer stigma will continue to fade. It may also make craft beer more approachable for the uninitiated, exposing more people to the many beer styles we know and love.

A Russian River Experience at Parry's Pizza

Each time I visit Parry's Pizza, I'm reminded that this is arguably the finest beer bar in the south Denver metro area. I discovered this gem in April of this year, a couple weeks after Parry's Greenwood Village location opened. They feature 50 craft beers on tap, with many local breweries represented. The food menu is expansive as well, centered around New York style pizza but also including starters, salads, calzones and more. It's also a family-friendly place that's appropriate for kids. But I think a major factor that sets this bar apart from others, in addition to the large and ever-rotating tap list, is the schedule of frequent beer events Parry's hosts. They've held major tap takeover events featuring Avery Brewing, Odell Brewing, New Belgium Brewing, Dogfish Head Brewing and others. By "major," I mean close to 20 draft beers from the featured brewery, including limited and highly sought after offerings. Needless to say, I'm a fan.

When I saw a message recently from Parry's "Ale Yeah!" email group about a special Russian River Brewing Company tapping, I knew I had to make another visit. I passed up the chance to try two of Russian River's wild ales at Rackhouse Pub's "Battle of the Barley," so I wasn't going to let this opportunity pass me by! Russian River, located in Santa Rosa, California, is most famous for Pliny the Elder double IPA, the nation's highest rated beer. It also produces some of the nation's highest rated wild or sour ales, and it was about time I tried them. Russian River has scaled back its distribution outside of California in the past year, so kegs of these amazing beers don't make it to many bars in Colorado. When they do, they usually don't last more than a few hours.

I was able to have a glass of Pliny the Elder before the keg kicked. It was my second time trying it, but the first time on draft. It's a wonderful, balanced double IPA with huge citrus and piney hop aroma and flavors. While Pliny is an outstanding beer and example of what a double IPA should be, I've had several other DIPAs that definitely give it a run for its money. I think this is more a reflection of how many great breweries are able to consistently produce excellent hop-forward beers.

The highlight of this Russian River experience was the opportunity to also try the beers Temptation and Supplication. Temptation is a wild blond ale that's aged in Chardonnay barrels. It pours clear and pale, with a thin head. An aroma of tart fruits is present, and the taste is crisp, tart and finishes very dry. It's a very complex wild ale that exhibits a lot of character from barrel-aging and the use of the wild yeast Brettanomyces. Supplication is a wild brown ale that's been aged in pinot noir barrels with sour cherries. It's an absolutely delicious beer that's delicate, complex and mesmerizing all at once. Several wild yeast strains are used in the aging process, giving it an appropriate amount of funky, sour flavor.

Overall, it was another great craft beer occasion at Parry's. I really appreciate having a place like this in my neighborhood, and can't wait to hear what they plan to pull off next.